Protest across campuses against killing of lawyer by Hindu fanatics
Students of Dhaka University (DU) on Tuesday night staged a protest demanding a ban on ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) and in protest against the heinous murder of Advocate Saiful Islam Alif in Chattogram.
The protest was organized by the ‘Dhaka University Student Association of Lohagara-Satkania’ at 9:30 PM by the VC square of DU.
Students from various halls joined the march. During the protest, they chanted slogans such as, “ISKCON, you are a terrorist, companion of dictatorship,” “ISKCON has no room in this land,” among others.
The protesters demanded the arrest of those involved in the murder of the lawyer within the next 24 hours, ban on the ISKCON, an investigation into the source of ISKCON’s funding, and actions against those responsible for creating communal violence.
Sakhawat Zakaria, a student from the DU’s Law Faculty, said, “It is clear to us who killed Advocate Saiful. They did not kill a Muslim but a government lawyer. No religious organization should do such a thing. This organization is linked to extremist Hinduism. Sanatanis should not support ISKCON in any way.”
He urged the Sanatanis, “You should also raise your voice against ISKCON. We need to ban ISKCON and extremist Hinduism.”
Tahmid Al Mudassir, coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said, “In Bangladesh’s history, there is no precedent for the murder of a government lawyer, but ISKCON has done it. The culprits must be arrested within 24 hours and tried in a special tribunal. ISKCON should be banned, and we need to find out where their funding comes from.”
He added, “Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony. Anyone who tries to create communal violence, like Sheikh Hasina, will be opposed.”
Mossadek Ali Ibn Mohammad, a student from the Department of Bengala, said, “ISKCON was banned in several countries because they are involved in terrorist activities. Therefore, it should also be banned in Bangladesh.”
Earlier, the protesters offered a Namaz-e-Janaza for Advocate Saiful in front of the Raju Sculpture at TSC (Teacher-Student Center) before proceeding with the protest.
Advocate Saiful Islam Alif was hacked to death amid clashes between police and Hindu community people on a Chattogram court premises on Tuesday after the court rejected bail to former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in a sedition case.
Students of Jagannath University on Tuesday night condemned the brutal killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif on Chattogram’s court premises and demanded the immediate ban of the Hindu nationalist organization ISKCON.
They accused the hardliner Hindu organization of threatening the country’s sovereignty and engaging in extremist activities.
During a protest march that concluded with a rally at 9:30 pm, the students raised slogans such as “Ban ISKCON now,” “No place for ISKCON in our Bengal,” and “Break the black hands of ISKCON.”
They also demanded accountability for the killing, chanting, “Why did our brother die? We want answers from the authorities.”
Masum, a student of Sociology department, alleged the extremist ISKCON has been conspiring to destabilize Bangladesh for some time. The brutal murder of state lawyer Alif in reflects this agenda. The perpetrators must be arrested and brought to justice without delay.
Naimur Rahman, another student, accused ISKCON of working to undermine Bangladesh’s sovereignty and claimed that the organization is aligned with efforts to influence the country’s political stability.
“India is trying to destabilize us to rehabilitate certain forces. ISKCON is acting as their tool. We demand the banning of ISKCON and the arrest of those involved in Alif’s murder,” he said.
Junayed Masud, general secretary of the Human Rights Society at JnU, alleged that ISKCON, backed by Indian interests, has long harbored ambitions of creating a unified Indian state at the expense of Bangladesh’s sovereignty.
“This Hindu nationalist group has repeatedly tried to create unrest in our independent nation,” he said, adding, “The murder of the lawyer is a manifestation of this conspiracy. We demand the immediate arrest and trial of those responsible.”
The students vowed to continue their demonstrations until their demands are met, urging authorities to ensure justice and preserve national stability.
Hundreds of Jahangirnagar University (JU) students staged a protest on campus on Tuesday night, condemning the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam in an attack allegedly by unruly sections of the Hindu community on Chattogram court premises.
Saiful was killed during a clash between police and followers of former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in the Chattogram Court Building area.
Around 500 students from various dormitories gathered at the Bot Tola area on campus and took out a procession around 8:20pm, marching through different campus roads.
During the procession, students chanted slogans such as: “Hindu Muslim Bhai Bhai, Ugrobader Thai Nai; Bichar Bichar Bichar Chai, Saiful Hottar Bichar Chai” (Hindus and Muslims are brothers, there is no room for extremism; We demand justice for Saiful).
The procession concluded in front of the Shaheed Minar on campus, where a brief rally was held.
Speakers at the rally condemned the killing of Saiful and urged everyone to maintain communal harmony, resisting any attempts to provoke violence. They also called for ensuring the highest form of justice for the murder.
Addressing the gathering, Anjum Shahriar, a student of the Department of Government and Politics, said, “The country is at a critical juncture. Some extremist groups are trying to disrupt communal harmony. Today, they brutally hacked one of our lawyer brothers to death in Chattogram. We urge the government to ban all extremist organizations that aim to destabilize Bangladesh. We stand against attacks on people of any religion.”
Abdur Rashid Jitu, a student of Comparative Literature and Culture, said, “The organization involved with the heinous killing must be held accountable. Additionally, the interim government cannot evade responsibility for this murder.”
“The fallen dictator is making various attempts to destabilize the country. The student community is ready to resist the conspiracies of these forces. I call upon everyone to unite against the plots of the fallen dictator,” Jitu added.
The rally ended around 9:20 pm.
Advocate Saiful Islam Alif was hacked to death amid clashes between police and Hindu community people on a Chattogram court premises on Tuesday after the court rejected bail to former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in a sedition case.